Infant&#39;s chair



Dec. 26, 1950 E. L. JOHNSON 2,535,212

INFANTTS CHAIR Filed June 26, 1946 INVENTOR Everard L. Johnson UNITED STATES :PATEN T :oFEicE INFANTS "CHAIR Everard L; Johnson, Patchog ue N. Y.

Application June 26, 1946', Serial'No. 679,443

'1 This invention relates to what is, generally termed as chairs or seatsyandmight-be further termed a stub-highchair" adapted for use upon an ordinary dining-room "or dinner-table "chair,

"or for hanging in" conjunction-with a; vertical support of any type and kind. Morepaiticularly,

"the'invention dealsw ith a chair structure ineluding side ermsywith means adjustably supporting a tray in connection with the arms and torretaining the tray'iri different positions of ad-- *justment. More particularly,the'inventioii deals- "with a chair having an adjustable step or "footrest to compensate for growth of a child; and still mo're particularly, the invention includes means for detachably supporting supplemental leg members with the legs of the'chair frame in adapting the chair to" different Uses. "The novel "features of the invention will be best understood from 'the following description when taken, together with the accompanying drawing, in which. the separate parts. are designated by suitable referencecharactersin each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is aperspectiveview'of alchairmade acv cording. to my invention, showing the tray in an outward adjusted position. i

Fig. 2 is a. bottom perspective view of the chair shown in Fig. 1 with parts -in a. different position and omitting parts of i the construction.

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the -:-arrows '3-3 of Fig. 1-, ona.n enlarged scale, and with part of the structure broken away.

:Fig; 4: is an enlarged section onthe line i -4 of liiglv .1, with part orthe construction shown in "*treted one edaptetion and use of my'invehtion "in which a'chair'irame comprising a seat 1n.

*fourwerticelly *arra'nged'leg members I I, I2, '13 and and a backrest I 5 is-employ'ed. The back "rest joins the upper ends bf the rear legs II and 12, and upper parts "of the rea'r'leg's also *join the "upper ends of the frontlegs' "l3 and I Kin ion wardly extending 'arms "I 6 and fl 1 each" having groovesontheputer surface-thereof; 'thgroove seems. (Cl. 155-127) in'the-ai-m 16 beingshown'at 18 in-"Fig; I meet the arm IT, at!!! inFig; 2.

1 Also employed in conjunction: with the front and rear'leg members are supplemental frontend rear bottom 'leg rails or ieetZU'and 2! thelatter being of a width common to the 'respective leg members and having recessed'ends; seat 12; to reeeive the lower ends ofthe leg members. ""lhe "recessed ends of'the so "called feet '20 and 2!, es well as'the lower ends of'the legmeinhers are ia'shionedto form" communicating recesses genenerally identified as 23; nebf-'Whi0h is'clearly shown'irYFig. 8 of the drawing.

Mounted in the recesses *or apertures 23"-is a socket member 24 having en inner contracted spring end 25 and an outer protrudingidom'ed portion 26. The domed portion'will'form suitable supports for the chair'when placed upon. afloor or other smooth hard surface, and will;=at the same time, not interfere with arrangement "of "the chair upon a; soft or cushionedsurfa ceysuch as an upholstered chairyin' which latter? event, the'feet 20 20 iii-"conjunction With'ithe' legfmem bers'form the support 'for the chair.

Considering for e mome'nt :thei illustrationsdn Figs? '7 and 8, I havev here "shown one rocker. 21 "adapted for detachable mounting with theilower po'rti'on of 'the chair or 'the'efeet' -20, the

rocker' having at suitable spaced sections 1'01 the uppersurface thereof notches or recessesras'at '28 and 29 to receive the rail-likefeet and 1-2 I The" fr'ocker 'L'is further recessed; as seen :for re):- iampleettll in Figs. 7 and s'tto'receive a coupling pin slfkeyed" in position 'in the'i'oc'ker- 21? by a "key pin" '32 "and. projecting above the upper :sur-

facesthereof to ehterthe socket'zd the, pin having eti'ieitd'33- at its' 'upper' end, note Fig; 8, "adaptedio be en ged by the spring-end 'fin retaining the rocker against accidentaldispl'a'cefiment'from the "chair" while permitting forcea-ble 'remova'rof :the rocker whenever desired.

' The front legs 13- and M are further braced 'b'y' two" rods 34 end-35 and the "front and back legs ere 'braeed'by'other rods'36 and 31. "Pivot'ed bei ei'dly extending foot suppo iting"memb"er" 39 having an angularly arranged footpi'ece 411. Pivot'ed to'the member 39 centrally there'of; eset 4|; rioteFig? 2, is a notched link 42having a series of notches 43 adapted to engage the brace 34in adjustably supporting the member "39 in different positions.

'iAt 49 is shown a tray, at opp'csitesides of 'the lower surface "of which .aresecm-ed 'inwai dly di- "re'ct'ed- U -shaped channel-strips, one teing shown at 45 in Fig. 1, and the other at 46 in Fig. 2. These strips operate in the recesses I8 and IS in slidably supporting the tray upon the arms [6 and I1. Secured centrally of the front or outer end of the tray 44 at the lower surface thereof, is a lock rod or element 41 which has an outwardly offset portion, as at 48, and an inwardly ofiset portion 49, so as to extend the tray or the inner curved end 50 thereof to a position in close proximity to the body of an infant in order to retain an infant securely but freely in the chair and to prevent the infant from displacing itself from the chair.

The bar or element 41 has a rearwardly extending lower portion which passes through a recess 52 arranged centrally and longitudinally of the lower surface of the seat It, note in this connection Fig. 4 of the drawing. Arranged across the recess 52 and seating in supplemental shallow recesses 53, at opposite sides of the deep recess 52, is a plate 54 having a large rectangular aperture 55 near the forward portion thereof and an elongated curved aperture 56 near the rear :portion thereof. The .plate 54 forms in the recess 52 between it and the straight end 5| of the element 41, a channel 51 in which is slidably mounted a cam lock plate 58 having a downwardly extending rounded cam surface 59 adapted to be positioned in the aperture 55 to free the lock element from the bar end 5| in adjusting the tray 44 and to ride upon the surface 60 of the plate 54 in tensionally locking the bar 5! in engagement with the seat In, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The element 58 also has a downwardly curved cam end 6| which also Ii.

aids in this locking operation, as will clearly appear from a consideration of Fig. 5.

To operate the element 58, I provide a lever 62 pivoted to the plate 54, as seen at 63, note Fig. 6. The short end of the lever beyond the pivot 63 carries a pin 64 which operates in the curved aperture 55 and is secured to the element 5.8. It will thus be seen that by swinging the lever 62 on its pivot, the element 58 can be moved into its operative and. inoperative positions.

' Secured to the lower surface of the seat is a forwardly and backwardly directed ratchet member 65, shown clearly in Fig. 2, and also shown in section in Fig. 6. This member has a recessed inner surface, as at 555 to provide for free movement of the lever 52 within predetermined limits and this recessed surface has a series of longitudinally spaced notches or recesses 51 into which the lever is adapted to rest, the outer end portion 58 of the lever being preferably Vd to seat in the V-shaped notches 51. The outer end of the lever 62 is twisted to form a vertically disposed fingerpiece or handle end 69, note Fig. 6.

Inwardly of the handle end, the lever 62 also has a flat spring secured thereto, as at H to bear upon the lower surface of the seat In in retaining the lever in any one of the notches 67. It will be understood that to adjust the lever 52, the lever must first be raised against the action of the spring 10 to become free of the notched portions 61. It is then moved over the lower surface of the seat in bringing the element 58 to the desired position of adjustment. By providing the notches, the applied pressure of the adjusted tray can be increased within predetermined limits. It will also be understood that with the element 58 in the free position,

the entire tray can be removed from the chair,

and further this tray can be adjusted to any .desired position on the arms within the limits.

of the channel engagement with the arms and the length of the recesses I8 and i9, provided the latter open through the free ends of the arms, as is clearly apparent.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, the rear legs H and [2 have on the inner surfaces of the upper portion thereof rearwardly extending pairs of headed pins or screwsTZ with which hook-shaped hangers 73 are adapted to be supported in hanging a chair over the back of another chair, or any other support and the curvature of these members may be made to suit different types and kinds of hangings, for example, on stuffed or upholstered chairs or seats, such as an automobile seat. The hooks will have a wider spread than any engaging backrest of a normal dining-room or similar chair. The members 13 have pairs of keyhole apertures, as indicated at 14 in Fig. 3 of the drawing for detachably coupling the members with the pairs of hooks 12.

It will be noted from a consideration of Fig. i of the drawing that the showing of the lever 62 is somewhat schematic, simply to illustrate the combination with the pin end 64, the pivot 63 has been omitted.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stub-highchair comprising a seat, back and front leg members, a backrest joining upper ends of the back leg members, a pair of arms joining the back leg members with upper ends of the front leg members, said arms having longitudinal recesses, a tray, side portions of the tray having channel members slidably engaging the recesses of said arms in adjusting the position of the tray on said arms, rigid means extending from the tray and slidably engaging said seat for further guiding the tray in its adjustable movement on the chair, means on said seat cooperating with said last named means for retaining the tray in different positions of adjustment on said arms, said last named means comprising a cam lock element slidably mounted in the chair seat, a plate engaged by said element in movement of the element into 0peraitive positions, and a lever coupled with said element and extending beyond a peripheral portion of the chair seat for moving said element into operative and inoperative positions.

2. A stub-highchair comprising a seat, back and frontleg members, a backrest joining upper ends of the back leg members, a pair of arms joining the back leg members with upper ends of the front leg members, said arms having longitudinal recesses, a tray, side portions of the tray having channel members slidably engaging the recesses of said arms in adjusting the position of the tray on said arms, rigid means extending from the tray and slidably engaging said seat for further guiding the tray in its adjustable movement on the chair, means on said seat cooperating with said last named means for retaining the tray in different positions of adjustment on said arms. said last named means comprising a cam lock element slidably mounted in the chair seat, a plate engaged by said element in movement of the element into operative positions, a lever coupled with said element and extending beyond a peripheral portion of the chair seat for moving said element into operative and inoperative positions, and means engaging said lever to hold the same in different positions of adjustment.

3. In chairs employing seat, back, armrest portions and a tray, means slidably coupling the tray with the arms of the chair, said tray having a rod attached to the lower edge thereof and slidably engaging the lower surface of the seat, means comprising a plate guiding the rod of the tray in its movement on the seat, a lock element disposed between said plate and rod, and means comprising a manually actuated member coupled with said element for moving the same into operative and inoperative positions in looking and releasing the tray on the chair.

4. In chairs employing seat, back, armrest portions and a tray, means slidably coupling the tray with the arms of the chair, said tray havinga rod attached to the lower edge thereof and slidably engaging the lower surface of the seat, means comprising a plate guiding the rod of the tray in its movement on the seat, a lock element disposed between said plate and rod, means comprising a manually actuated member coupled with said element for moving the same into operative and inoperative positions in looking and releasing the tray on the chair, and means retaining said memher in different positions of adjustment.

5. In chairs employing seat, back, armrest portions and a tray, means slidably coupling the tray with the arms of the chair, said tray having a rod attached to the lower edge thereof and slidably engaging the lower surface of the seat, means comprising a plate guiding the rod of the tray in its movement on the seat, a lock element disposed between said plate and rod, a manually actuated lever coupled with said element for moving the same into operative and inoperative position, and means yieldably supporting said lever in different positions of adjustment.

EVERARD L. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

